Portable multi-fuel space heater



March 11, 1958 I "PORTABLE MULTI-FUEL SPACE HEATER A. s. HANCOCK, JR 2,826,190

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1954 4 3o 34 fig- /0 29 i 5 I43 45 39 3b INVENTOR. fi/berr/ 5: HdfleacK-JE 5,10 BY HTTgR/VEY March 11, 1958 s, coc JR 2 ,826,190

PORTABLE MULTI-FUEL SPACE HEATER Filed Sept. 20, 1954 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent PORTABLE MULTI-FUEL SPACE HEATER Albert S. Hancock, Jr., Orange City, Iowa, assignor to Silent Sioux Corporation, Orange City, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application September 20, 1954, Serial No. 457,045

1 Claim. (Cl. 126-93) My invention relates to a space heater.

An object of my invention is to provide a space heater which can be used principally in fishing shacks during the Winter time when fishing through the ice, or if desired can be used in other environments as well.

A further object of my invention is to provide a space heater which can be used with gas or a suitable fuel oil, with means whereby the unit can be converted from one type of fuel to the other if desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a limited vaporizing area for a maximum burning capacity when using oil.

A further object of my invention is to provide a series of vertically spaced openings provided in such a manner as to insure maximum efficiency at low or high fire.

A further object of my invention is to provide a limited size of orifice in the fuel supply inlet to limit the capacity of the burner when using gas in conformation with the same features when using oil, so that when either fuel is used, the best possible efiiciency will be obtained.

A further object of my invention is to provide clean burning at all times.

A further object of my invention is to provide a series of inclined baflles being positioned at such angles as to provide a better mixing of the fuel, and maximum aeration.

A further object of my invention is to provide a special leg especially adaptable for use on ice surfaces.

A further object of my invention is to provide a variety of other advantages, one of which is the fact that the space heater can also be used for cooking purposes.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the space heater,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail taken in section of the valve orifice,

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 2 taken along the lines 44 thereof,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 2 taken along the lines 5-5 thereof,

Figure 6 is a view taken along the lines 66 of Figure 2, and

Figure 7 is an end rear view of a portion of the heater.

I have used the character 1% to designate the bottom wall of my space heater, the character 11 the forward wall, the character 12 the rear wall, the character 13 side walls and the character 14 an upper wall having the grooves 15 therein for maximum strength, and I have further used the character 16 to indicate a vertically positioned cylindrical member communicating with the heater, with the cylindrical chimney 17 being adapted to engage 2,826,190 Patented Mar. 11, 1958 the member 16, the chimney stack 17 being of suflicient height, which height is usually a minimum of four feet.

An opening 18 is provided in the forward wall 11 having the closure element 19 pivoted at 20, this opening providing means for lighting the unit. Suitably attached by means of brackets 21 to the space heater itself is a substantially rectangular container 22 having the upper opening 23 for filling the container, the closure member 24 being pivoted at 25.

The container 22 communicates at 26 with a small tube or pipe 27, which communicates at 28 to the valve housing 29, the valve housing including the pipe 30 attached thereto, the pipe 30 having an opening 31 communicating with the inside of the space heater, the opening being controlled by means of the needle valve 32 which is threadably engaged at 33 with the valve housing, the needle valve having the control handle 34. Secured within the space heater at 35 are the vertically positioned legs 36 which extend into the integral upwardly inclined portions 37 (see Figure 7) which portions join at 38, there being one of such leg structures at either end of the unit.

The base member 10 includes the horizontally spaced openings 39, and attached at 40 to the forward wall 11 is the flat horizontal member 41 in which is secured at 42 the vertically positioned pipe 43 having its upper end 44 a certain distance above the member 41, with the lower end of the pipe 43 being located on the vertical center of the center opening 39, the pipe 43 also including the lower threads 45 whereby a connection can be made to the pipe 43 when it is desired to convey the overflow exteriorly of the shack for instance.

The horizontal portion 41 is bent upwardly into the angularly positioned further portion 46, which portion 46 includes the laterally spaced openings 47 and 48, it being noted that the openings 48 are at a higher elevation than the openings 47, the angle of inclination of the portion 46 being substantially forty-five degrees, it being understood however that other angles could be used as well.

Attached at 47a to the upper termination of the member 46 is a further inclined bafile member 48:: having the side flanges 49 for attachment to the side walls 13, and continuing from the member 48a is the bent over portion 50 which bends downwardly into the portion 51, which portion 51 also includes a series of openings 52 (see Figure 6), the portions 48a and 51 being also positioned substantially at forty-five degrees, the portion 51 terminating in the upwardly bent portion 53, which is attached to a flange 54 which is the termination of a further baffie member 55 which is substantially parallel to the member 48a, the member 55 continuing into the vertically positioned further baffle portion 56, the members 55 and 56 having the side flanges 57 for attachment to the walls 13. It should be understood that the portions 41 and 46 also extend from wall to wall 13. The connections between the edges of the various wall portions 41, 46, 48a, 50, 55, and 56, and thewalls 13, end wall 11, and bottom wall 10 are made fluid tight so that they will perform the intended purpose of my invention.

The space heater operates in the following manner: The needle valve 32 will control the amount of fuel oil admitted to the heater, and the top 44 of the pipe 43 will limit the amount of fuel oil which can be present above the member 41, since this oil will overflow through the overflow pipe 43 at any point above this level. The height of the fuel oil at this point provides a limited vaporizing area for the maximum burning capacity of the oil, and at a low oil level or low fire, the first row of openings 47 will function, and at higher fires the higher openings 48 and 52 will function, the dotted lines character 58 indicating the flames.

It will be noted that the openings 39 will provide for the entrance of air which air will pass upwardly between the baflle members 46 and 56, and also between the members 4812 and 55 and being limited upwardly by the bent over portion 50, this chamber forming a means for admitting the air for mixing with the fuel to provide the proper combustion. It will be especially noted that the angular positioning of the members 46 and 4841 provides a better mixing and maximum aeration due to the fact that the lengths of the bafiles are longer than would be true of vertical baffles, it being also noted that the direction in which the flames travel also provides for a highly efficient heating effect. It will be noted that the flames 58 which flow from the openings 52 practically impinge against the top wall 14, so that this wall could also be used for cooking purposes. Obviously, the angular positioning of the bafiles as shown provides the desired advantages of more complete mixing for a certain oil supply and with more efficient combustion results, as well as better directional advantages in which the flames or jets are applied. The particular positioning of the overflow pipe to limit the amount of oil together with the baflies as provided also permits a clean burning at all times, and as a further feature the openings 39 are so located as to prevent the flickering from the burner openings to be visible therethrough, which in fishing shacks is desirable when it is not desired to have light sources visible from the outside.

The opening 31 is made of a certain restricted size to provide the important function of limiting the amount of gas passing into the burner, when it is desired to use gas instead of fuel oil. It will be apparent that a proper connection can be made at 28 from a proper gas source to operate the heater, in which case the fuel container 22 is not used. The opening 31 is made of such size, as explained above, to prevent too much gas from entering into the heater, which might involve harmful efiects, the restricted size of the opening 31 therefore accommodating both conditions, namely the use of fuel oil or gas.

Since the heater in many cases will be used in fishing shacks, or for fishing through the ice, it will be noted that the lower portions at 59 of the legs, after becoming heated by the space heater, will melt the ice to a certain degree, whereupon the legs will sink slightly beneath the level of the ice, the ice level being indicated by the character 60 in Figures 2 and 7, thereby providing a firm foundation for the heater.

If desired a further bathe member can be positioned as indicated by the dotted lines and character 61 in Figure 2, to provide a further increased circulating effect under this baffie and upwardly through the chimney and with attendant greater heating eifect if such is desired.

It should be understood that if desired, the overflow pipe 43 need not be used, and a constant level valve of any type used instead, the principal objective being to limit the depth of the oil. Also, the overflow could be placed at other locations as well.

It will now be noted that I have provided the advantages mentioned in the objects of my invention with further advantages being readily apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within its scope.

I claim as my invention:

A space heater comprising side walls, front and rear end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall joined to said side and end walls in fluid tight relation, a further horizontally positioned wall spaced above said bottom wall and joined to the front one of said end Walls and said side walls in fluid tight relation, a sloping wall integral with the rear end of said further horizontally positioned wall and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom and joined to said side walls in fluid tight relation, to thereby provide with said side walls a fuel oil receiving chamber, means for supplying fuel oil to said chamber, an over-flow pipe passing through said further horizontally positioned wall for limiting the upper level of oil received in said fuel oil receiving chamber, said sloping wall having rows of laterally spaced openings therein, said bottom wall having a plurality of outside air admitting openings for admitting air therethrough, a further angularly positioned wall extending upwardly and forwardly from said sloping wall and joined to said side walls in fluid tight relation, said further angularly positioned wall including an upper flange portion extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said top wall and joined to said side walls in fluid tight relation, a wall portion extending downwardly and rearwardly substantially at right angles to said upper flange portion and joined to said side walls in fiuid tight relation, said wall portion having a plurality of further laterally spaced openings therein, 'a still further angularly positioned wall extending downwardly and rearwardly from said wall portion substantially parallel to said further angularly positioned wall and joined to said side walls in fluid tight relation, a vertical wall extending from said still further angularly positioned wall to said bottom wall and joined to said side walls and said bottom wall in fluid tight relation, said further horizontally positioned wall, said sloping wall, said further angularly positioned wall, said flange portion, said still further angularly positioned wall and said vertical wall providing an air receiving chamber, and means forming a flue outlet adjacent the rear end of said top wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 476,445 Bostrom June 7, 1892 895,338 Calliham Aug. 4, 1908 2,292,339 Mayo Aug. 4, 1942 2,619,159 Young Nov. 25, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 739,034 France Oct. 24, 1932 27,219 Australia June 4, 1931 

